Majmu' al-Fatawa - Ibn Taimiya - (21/105)

Chapter: Cleansing After Relieving Oneself

He, may Allah have mercy on him, was asked about someone who claimed that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

“Face west, not east.”

Others claimed that he said:

“Face east, not west.”

He replied:

Both hadiths are fabrications. However, it is reported from him in the Sahīh that he said:

“Do not face the qiblah when defecating or urinating; rather, face east or west.”

It is also reported from him in the Sunan collections that he said:

“What lies between east and west is the qiblah.”

He was addressing the people of Medina and those similarly situated, such as the people of Greater Syria, Upper Mesopotamia, and Iraq. As for the people of Egypt, their qiblah lies between east and south, toward the point where the sun rises in winter. And Allah knows best.

بَابٌ الِاسْتِنْجَاءُ سُئِلَ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ عَمَّنْ قَالَ: إنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: {غَرِّبُوا وَلَا تُشَرِّقُوا} وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ قَالَ: {شَرِّقُوا وَلَا تُغَرِّبُوا} ؟ . فَأَجَابَ: الْحَدِيثَانِ كَذِبٌ وَلَكِنْ فِي الصَّحِيحِ عَنْهُ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: {لَا تَسْتَقْبِلُوا الْقِبْلَةَ بِغَائِطِ وَلَا بَوْلٍ وَلَكِنْ شَرِّقُوا أَوْ غَرِّبُوا} . وَفِي السُّنَنِ عَنْهُ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: {مَا بَيْنَ الْمَشْرِقِ وَالْمَغْرِبِ قِبْلَةٌ} وَهَذَا خِطَابٌ مِنْهُ لِأَهْلِ الْمَدِينَةِ وَمَنْ جَرَى مَجْرَاهُمْ كَأَهْلِ الشَّامِ وَالْجَزِيرَةِ وَالْعِرَاقِ وَأَمَّا مِصْرُ فَقِبْلَتُهُمْ بَيْنَ الْمَشْرِقِ وَالْجَنُوبِ مِنْ مَطْلِعِ الشَّمْسِ فِي الشِّتَاءِ. وَاَللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ.